125 Years Ago - 1892

We notice that Mr Chas. Ed. Hewitt, of Gill Lane, Yeadon, has, at the Yorkshire College, Leeds, been successful in obtaining one of the Clothworkers' Textile Industries Evening Scholarships, which are of the value of £2 2s.

An epidemic of "Russian Influenza" is prevalent at The Friends' Boarding School, Low Green, Rawdon. The complaint has attacked the staff, the children and the servants, several being prostrated.

100 Years Ago - 1917

An inquest was held at Otley on Monday on the body of Miss Clara Armitage, an elderly Ilkley woman, who died in the Workhouse Infirmary the previous day. The woman was charged with attempting to commit suicide at the Otley Police Court on Tuesday week, and remanded to the Otley Workhouse Infirmary for a week. It was stated that the woman had had various situations in Ilkley and district during the last ten years, but lately she had not been employed, and this seemed to depress her a good deal.

Private B. Mortimer, an Ilkley man in the Devon Labour Company, in a letter home from France says: - "After being here two days we set off on the march. The roads were in an awful state; over the boot tops in sludge; with great big shell holes every 100 yards or so, and scores of horses lying dead on the road side. We could see the big guns firing, and the noise was like one continual roll of thunder."

75 Years Ago - 1942

News has been received by Mrs Burrow, of Albert Square, Yeadon, that her son Ronald has been engaged in film work. Able Seaman Burrow joined the navy over a year ago, and during the winter had been on patrol in the Atlantic. He was recommended to a gunnery course, and it was while on this he was selected to appear as a member of the gun crew in Noel Coward's latest film In Which We Serve.

The Princess Royal went on a full day tour of the WVS centres in Ilkley, Burley and Menston. She saw for herself the very fine results which had been achieved by the skilled direction and energetic drive of the members of the Women's Voluntary Service. The tour began at a residential nursery for the evacuated children under five.

50 Years Ago - 1967

"Leek and Westbourne" achieved the distinction of becoming the first Building Society to serve Ilkley and District with Branch facilities when its new office at 30a, Brook Street, was officially open on Thursday of last week. The ceremony was performed by Col. Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott, MP for Ripon, who said building societies were an enormous help to the country in dealing with housing problems. Building Societies started by the British almost 200 years ago had been hugely successful, with over 50 per cent of the people living in their own houses.

For more than four decades "Ameliaranne" has been a favourite fictional character with young children. "Ameliaranne and the Green Umbrella" was first published in 1920 and the total sales of the series exceeded two million copies. The present title was allowed to go out of print in the 1950's but in response to many requests it has now been republished.The author is Miss Constance Heward, who has made her home at Ilkley since 1954. Miss Heward came here with her sister during the last World War and "fell in love with the place".

25 Years Ago - 1992

A sign reflecting the current recession is on display in an Otley butcher's shop window - and is amusing passers-by. It has appeared at Middlemiss and Son in Market Street and reads: "Urgently required!Customers. Apply within." Mr Tony Middlemiss said: "I put it in the window to reflect the times with so many businesses going bust."

Residents of a village which could see its size increased by 20 per cent under the proposed Unitary Development Plan are to be asked their views by local councillors. Bramhope Parish Council is circulating a leaflet to every resident in the village informing them of Leeds City Council's wish to release 36 acres of green belt land on the east of the village for further development.